2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 WAGON tow

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on door handle2.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Information on towing the vehicle can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(
page 310).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 125).
iIf the vehicle was previously been
locked from the outside with the
SmartKey, opening a door from the in-
side will trigger the alarm.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the fol-
lowing:

Press button
Œ
or
‹
on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand
S203 MY03_A.book Page 88 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

134 Controls in detailManual transmission
Manual transmissionInformation for driving with a manual
transmission is found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 44).
Gearshift leverDo not exceed the maximum speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer
(page 105) for engine speeds.
Shifting into reverse
Stop the vehicle completely.

Pull gearshift lever up and shift in
Rreverse.
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or re-
verse gear and parking brake engaged is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
an engaged first or reverse gear alone may
not prevent your vehicle from moving, possi-
bly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 51).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could move the gearshift
lever, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!Downshifting gears leading to overrev-
ving the engine can result in engine
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Do not exceed the engine speed limits
(page 105).
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill
by using the clutch pedal. The clutch
may be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warran-
ty.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 134 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

138 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Gear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle is
parked. Only place selector lever in
positionP when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehicle is
parked. Rather, the driver should al-
ways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to placing the selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed from
the starter switch with the selector
lever in positionP. With the key re-
moved the selector lever is locked in
positionP.
Effect
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR only
when vehicle is stopped.
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmission,
never engageN while driving.
If ESP is deactivated or malfunction-
ing:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 51).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 138 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

167 Controls in detail
Audio system
You can select from among the follow-
ing settings:

DRV
: The tone level is set to the
“Driver” position, sound is directed
toward the passengers.


SP: The tone level is set for
“Speech”, optimizing the sound for
spoken language.


AMB
: The tone level is set for “Ambi-
ence”, producing a three-dimen-
sional sound.


OFF
: The audio system sound selec-
tion is turned off.
Telephone* muting
If a telephone has been installed in the ve-
hicle, the radio will switch to telephone
mode when a call is received. The current
audio source is muted.
Radio mode
Selecting radio mode
Press the
b
button.
Selecting the band
You can select from among FM, AM or WB
frequency bands.
FM frequency band:
FM (ultra-short wave) 87.9......107.9 MHz
AM frequency bands:
MW (medium wave) 530......1710 KHz
WB (long wave) approx. 162 KHzSelecting FM band

Press the
FM function button.
FM appears in the upper right-hand cor-
ner of the display.
Selecting AM band

Press the
AM function button.
AM appears in the upper right-hand cor-
ner of the display.
Selecting a station
The following options are available for se-
lecting a station:


Direct frequency band input


Manual tuning


Automatic seek tuning


Scan tuning


Station buttons


Automatic station memory (Autostore)
S203 MY03_A.book Page 167 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

199 Controls in detail
Loading
Installing
Fold split rear bench seat forward.

Place twin-reel roller blind1 into right
and left guide rails2.

Slide towards right to the end stop.
Split rear bench seat
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately to enlarge the cargo compartment.Folding the backrest forward

Pull release handle1.

Fold seat cushion2 forward.
Right hand side of rear seat
Slip seat belt webbing behind
retainer3.

Retract head restraints fully and fold
rearward (
page 35).
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage compartment,
always fold the seat cushions fully forward
and always use the partition net when trans-
porting cargo.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 202).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 199 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

201 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification tag which can be found
on the left door pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
Never drive vehicle with tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 201 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

203 Controls in detail
Useful features
Useful features
Interior storage spaces Glove box
1Glove box lid release
2Glove box
Opening the glove box

Pull lid release1.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.Locking the glove box

Insert mechanical key into the glove
box lock and turn it to position2.
Unlocking the glove box

Turn mechanical key in the glove box
lock to position1.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Always use partition net when transporting
cargo. Partition net cannot secure hard or
heavy objects.
Parcel nets cannot secure hard or heavy ob-
jects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
iPrior to closing the glove box, close the
compartment for glasses first.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 203 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

211 Controls in detail
Useful features
System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in starter
switch to position2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
stay on longer than
10 seconds or do not come on). The mes-
sage
TELE AID – VISIT WORKSHOP!
ap-
pears for approx. 10 seconds in the
multifunction display.Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:


following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 79) and tow-away alarm
(
page 80)
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled “SOS”, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button do not come on dur-
ing the system self-check or if any of these
indicators remain illuminated constantly in
red and/or the message
TELE AID – VIS-
IT WORKSHOP
is displayed in the multifunc-
tion display after the system self-check, a
malfunction in the system has been detect-
ed.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 211 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM